Net.



.No- 827,868. PATENTED AUG. '7, 1906. H. J. HUGHES.

NET.

APPLIOATIOK FILED 0OT.11, 1906.

/NVENTQH jzQzzzyJffuy/zs ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. HUGHES. OF NEWYORK, N. Y.

' NET.

Patented Aug. '7, 1906.

Application filed October 11,1905. Serial No. 282,263.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Net, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to lawn-tennis, pingpong, and like games in which use is made of a stretched net. i

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved net arran ed to clearly and accurately indicate the si e lines of the lawn-tennis court to aid the players in properly serving the ball and to readily determine whether a ball was passed over the net within the proper boundaries.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement as applied to a double lawn-tennis court. Fig. 2 is an enlarged face view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The net A, stretched across the tenniscourt B, is secured at its ends in the usual manner to the posts C, preferably located outside the side lines B B of the tennis-- court B, which latter is shown as a double court in Fig. 1. On the net A are arranged vertically-disposed outer sighting-guides D D and D D and the middle sighting-guide D of which the sighting-guides D D are located near the ends of the net A and are in transverse alinement with the corresponding side lines B B of the tennis-court B and the said middle sighting-guide D? is arranged in transverse alinement with the middle or dividing line B of thetennis-court.

Each of the sighting-guides D, D, and D is preferably made of a strip of canvas 01' similar material fastened in any suitable manner to the net A, the strip of canvas being in contrast to the net A, so as to readily distinguish the sighting-guide from the net. If desired, the lower end of each strip may be connected with the ground by a suitable an choring device E, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2, to assist in holding the net properly stretched across the tennis-court B. If desired, the canvas strips may be detachably connected with the net A, so as to allow of placing the strips in proper position relative to the lines B, B and B of the tennis-court when setting up the net.

By the arrangement described it will be seen that the sighting-guides D, D, and D are arranged in vertical planes containing the corresponding side lines B, B and B so as to aid the player in properly serving the,

ball and to allow of readily determining whether a ball was passed over the net within the proper boundaries.

In Fig. 1 a double court is shown, and consequently two end sighting-guides D D are employed; but for a single court the sightingguides D are emitted.

The device is very simple and durable in construction, is not liable to get out of order, and the sighting-guides assist in strengthening the net A, besides having the useful functions above mentioned; I a

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Anet for lawn-tennis and similar games, provided with sighting-guides arranged vertically on the net and in alinement with the side boundary-lines of the tennis-court.

2. A net for lawn-tennis and similar games, provided near each end with a vertically-disposed sighting-guide in alinement with the side boundary-line of the tennis-court.

3. Anet for lawn-tennis and similar games, provided at each end with a sighting-guide in contrast to the body of the net and disposed in a vertical plane sustaining the side boundary-line of the tennis-court.

4. A not for lawn-tennis and similar games, provided, near each end, with spaced sighting-strips disposed vertically and in alinement with the side boundary-lines of a double tennis-court.

5. A net for lawn-tennis and similar games, 4

provided, near each end, with spaced sighting-strips disposed vertically and in alinement with the side boundary-lines of a double tennis-court, and a vertical sighting-strip at the middle of the net and inalinement with the central dividing-line of a double tenniscourt.

6. Anet for lawn-tennis and similar games,

provided at eechiendwith a sighting guijde in contrast to the body of the net anddisposed in a vertical plane containingvthe side boundary-line of the tennis-court, and an- 5 choring means for engaging the ground and connected with the lower end of the said sightingguide.

EInitestimony whereof Iihave signed my nameto this specification in the presence of twosubscribingWitnesses.

HENRY J. HUGHES. Witnesses:

THEo. G. HOsTER,

.E. G. NIELsoN. 

